Help sealing around bathroom exhaust fan (Panasonic Whisper type fan)
Hello,
I have a panasonic exhaust fan that I would like to seal where it meets the drywall ceiling.
Is it a good idea to put some rope caulk between the ceiling and the lip of the fan cage to seal the cavity?
I could use silicone but then to remove the fan for any maintenance will probably damage the ceiling when removed?
I can’t reach the housing from above as it is attached between joists and there is another bathroom above.
The problem is the cage’s lip that prevents me from having access to where the drywall meets the cage’s perimeter.
How would you seal this?
Pictures are not attaching for some reason, so here is a link to the pictures if you may. Thanks
https://www.dropbox.com/s/o74itgdpcrpt909/20181204_144720.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/pt5ys6r4ml39xrb/20181204_144728.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/wb1wkzxfkh4slj2/20181204_144724.jpg?dl=0
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Replies
I don’t think rope caulk would cause any problems here. Whatever you do just needs to be releasable in case you need to replace or service the fan someday in the future. If you screw the housing tight to the ceiling, some thin adhesive weather stripping would probably work too.
Bill
Thanks Bill.
I can't screw the housing any tighter because the top of the housing is already touching the floor above so there is no room for it to go up any further. I figured rope caulk because it can be added to match the gap as it is bigger on one side and smaller on the opposite. I hope this rope caulk doesn't develop mold though. I will try this and see if this reduced the dust and air infiltration from the attic. Thanks
I just installed four fans and used acrylic latex caulk to seal the housing against the drywall. The latex is easy enough to cut (as I found out at one point).
hi steve, I can't get in between the housing and the drywall because the housing has a lip under it. I would have to squeeze the latex caulk between the lip and the painted ceiling if you see the picture. If I did so, then had to remove the fan, the caulk will come out with paint and maybe even part of the texture. No?
GuyintheSouth,
I use the minimum amount of caulk to fill the gap and seal the housing to the drywall. There will be residual caulk if the bead is cut, but the bead is hidden under the fan grill. In all likelihood, you will never have to uninstall a high-quality bath fan once it goes in. Which isn't to say you couldn't use rope caulk instead of tube caulk.